Columns

Tip 10 - The Art of Barter

Sometimes realize that we have things we no longer need or can use. There are days when the chickens lay so many eggs, our refrigerator can’t hold even a slice of processed cheese. We know we can sell our extras, but some days we opt for the old fashioned way of dealing with this.

A couple of years ago, my bee mentor swapped me a lesson on capturing bees for several jars of my Carrot Cake Jam. I love to barter eggs for produce we can’t grow. The Country Boy barters tractor maintenance for usage of equipment he doesn’t have. There are so many items and services that can be used as bartering, and it is a win/win situation for all involved. Learning the art of bartering is a good way to stretch your budget and obtain items you need or services that you simply cannot do for yourself.

July 4, 1776 marked the formal beginning of the American Revolution and we celebrate it as our national birthday, but the fighting with England was well underway. The famous “Shots Heard ‘Round The World” had already been fired at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge. Earlier Americans had spilled blood from Quebec to Charleston. George Washington was in the field commanding the Continental Army when all hopes of reconciling with England slipped away.

In early June the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia had debated breaking from the Mother Country. It appointed a committee to draft a document that would explain to the world the need for such action. The delegates knew that if they proclaimed independence the English would view them as traitors. They were putting their lives and their honor on the line. The committee wanted it clearly understood why it was necessary to be free of English rule.

June 14, known as Flag Day, is one of our most honored and important patriotic days of our country. Of course, July 4th is more important but read on.

June 14 is the birthday of the American Army. On that date in 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United States Colonies. The following year, American declared its independence from British rule and just a year later, on June 14, 1777 the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution adopting the flag of the United States. To commemorate that occasion and honor our nation Americans have celebrated June 14 as Flag Day ever since.

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Sunday the 9th was Milton Smith’s 83rd birthday. Terry Gene took him out to eat Friday. I also made him a plate of fudge, which is his favorite. Sunday Jeanette and Milton Smith, Glynda Cawthorn and I went to Center and ate Chinese food.

I’ve been trying to clean out some places that I have stacked back. I got into the utility room Friday. Only worked about 30 minutes and then have to rest.

The Gannon reunion was held Saturday at the Dave Means Building in Grand Cane. They said there were about 50 or so attending. Gyndell Henry and I went by to say hi to everyone. We had been up to the Grand Cane trade days. They had lots of food with different items for sale. Got to see a lot of people.

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Emily Weinstein was talking about dill, her new favorite herb, in her weekly NYT column “5 Weeknight Dishes”. She says one reason she likes it is because fresh dill is so light and feathery. AND the dill rice dish she tells us about, Shaveed Polo, from Nag Deravian’s Persian cookbook “Bottom of the Pot” is, “(…) the most fragrancemaking, most joy-delivering and most mood- altering pot of rice you’ll ever eat.” She adds that with fava or lima beans this dish turns into Baghali Polo which is supposed to be pretty good, too.

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